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On 5 May 2026, Skill Our Future launched its first AI and Digital Skills Hub in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Hosted at Universitas Sulawesi Barat (Unsulbar), the Hub will provide youth, educators, and civil servants with access to practical training in AI, digital literacy, employability, entrepreneurship, and digital governance. The launch brought together more than 250 participants from government, academia, the private sector, and youth communities. "Our responsibility is to ensure this transformation benefits the whole campus, not just in technology programmes, but in every discipline," said Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdy, Rector of Universitas Sulawesi Barat. "We want to nurture graduates who are digitally literate, adaptive and able to use AI ethically, while continuing to foster creativity and innovation." Through workshops, bootcamps, online learning, and mentorship, the Hub aims to expand access to future-ready skills beyond Indonesia's major cities and help young people prepare for opportunities in an increasingly digital economy. Skill Our Future is a flagship initiative of the Youth Digitalization for Employability and Entrepreneurship Programme (YDEEP), led by UNDP in Asia and the Pacific, in strategic partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Randa Sandhita Rizqi Magdawati Nur Izzizti Dinh-Long Pham Savinda Ranathunga Ousmane Diaby Sulayman Janneh

Is the world already full? Every generation of developing economies hears the same caution. The world is crowded with exporters and the door is closing. Is it really? Export-led growth has been the escalator for development. Whether it will remain so depends on: (1) Will demand for exports stay strong? (2) Who will supply? (3) What development benefits are created? The chart of China's rise relative to Germany speaks to all three. On (1), I'm optimistic. The global middle class keeps growing in breadth and depth, and China matters most for the latter. Development and urbanization continue. Demand for exports should continue to grow. China's slowdown does not worry me here. It now grows almost three times slower than in 2007. But at close to $20 trillion, even at slower growth, the much-bigger base produces much-larger increments that could benefit the world. Question (2) is harder. Germany built one of the great export machines of the modern era, and yet China, four times smaller than Germany in 1990, is now about four times larger. China is both a vast market and a formidable competitor across the value chain, having broken into the high end while shedding the low end more slowly, helped by AI and automation. That raises the bar for new entrants and for incumbents alike. But successful exporters tend not to hold the field forever. As they grow richer, they move into higher-value production and vacate the lower rungs for those behind them. This cycle of succession has repeatedly made room for new entrants, from Japan through Asian economies to China itself. The higher bar can be healthy, provided competition is fair. Hardship is the mother of innovation, pushing economies near the capability frontier to work harder. For those further from it, however, the same pressure may discourage. The issue with (3) concerns the ability to generate good jobs. Manufacturing-led development once carried unique pro-development benefits including absorption of low-cost labor. If this diminishes, can services come to the rescue? Perhaps. We also worry about displacement due to AI and automation, even though this must be balanced against opportunities for augmentation and innovation. On balance, I still believe the case for openness holds. Outward orientation toward larger, more affluent markets remains the development escalator, and the pathways remain relevant: exposure to competition, technology transfer, investment, and movement up the value chain. The task, however, is clearly more demanding. Whether the world is full and the escalator keeps on running will critically depend on: 1. Will the largest economies convert scale into demand others can sell into? 2. Will today's incumbents stay competitive rather than turn to protection? 3. Will those still waiting to climb undertake the reforms a tougher landscape requires? What do you think?

From the #BrandenburgGate, a symbol of a shared peace - standing for a collective security with collective well-being. With multiple epicenters of a new security and risk reality, it is a reminder that investments in the right kind of development can be a strong line of defense, acting also as circuit breakers to stabilize in fragile situations and help nurture that shared peace. Thank you to Germany for placing its trust in UNDP to advance this work around the world. Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Johann Saathoff Deutscher Bundestag Nicolas Zippelius Melanie Hauenstein UNDP Germany Germany in the UN

Skill Our Future is built on one powerful idea: that learning never stops, and that anyone can learn and share. Through the Movers Programme, we take a train-the-trainer approach where young people uplift each other, one story, one session at a time. In a Movers Programme x LinkedIn workshop on Digital Branding and Employability with Hosea Lai 5 years ago, more than 14,000 youth across Asia-Pacific have enhanced their personal branding and employability by being empowered to tell their personal stories and share their career purpose. The best part? It's been through 245 youth-led workshops organized by our wonderful community of young leaders. We heard beautiful feedback of our youth communities who unlocked opportunities, scholarships, jobs, grew their network and built new lifelong connections 🔥 "From this workshop, I gained a clearer understanding of how personal branding is more than just having a polished LinkedIn profile but deeper it’s about being intentional with the story we tell about ourselves. I learned how to identify my core values and strengths and how to communicate them authentically through storytelling". Thank you Sandhya Dovedy, Trisha Suresh and Tuan Pham for supporting Skill Our Future in this exciting journey to support youth get access to better employment opportunities, regardless of their background. 🔗 To access the Personal Branding through LinkedIn and other courses, register at https://lnkd.in/gice87BZ --- Skill Our Future (SOF) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims to bridge the digital divide by empowering underserved youth across the Asia-Pacific with essential digital and 21st-century skills. Implemented in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Microsoft, and other key stakeholders, the programme enhances young people’s employability through capacity-building opportunities and nurtures an innovation-driven ecosystem that fosters collaboration and sustainable development. #SkillOurFuture

Money shouldn’t feel overwhelming, it should work for you. The Personal Finance course, co-developed by Skill Our Future (by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in strategic implementation with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Microsoft) and Mereka, is designed to help young people build practical money habits for real life. From budgeting and saving to investing and everyday financial decisions, this course gives you the foundations to manage your finances with confidence. 🧑💻 Start learning today: skillourfuture.org

Creating content is easy. Creating content that actually drives climate action is not. This course under Skill Our Future, by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in strategic implementation with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Microsoft, is designed for young people who want to use digital content as a tool for impact. Whether that’s raising awareness, shaping narratives around green skills, or supporting sustainability efforts in their communities, this is where you start. It’s practical, accessible, and completely free. 💻 Start learning today: skillourfuture.org